Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Things I Did with Stale Bread This Weekend

Jesus, not THAT, perverts.

Anyways: I fricking love bread. If it wouldn't be scratchy and stuff, I'd fill up my tub with it and just lay in it.

So I was a bit bummed out when I realized that a nice artisan-loaf of white bread was sitting in my fridge and it seemed PERILOUSLY long ago that I bought it (long enough that I couldn't remember the circumstances, but I think it may have been before X-mas).

So: stale bread origami:

Fed the birds.

Made French toast (soy milk, flour, nooch, sugar, cinnamon).

Made bread soup:

from Everybody Likes Sandwiches

First off, let me just say--the idea of bread soup is BRILLIANT. I love the deviancy of people taking a painfully healthy food and COMPLETELY DEMOLISHING THE HEALTHINESS OF IT. I say that in jest really, 'cause no doubt this soup is healthy even WITH the bread.

But I'm thinking of my friend J's distrust (and also LOVE) of carbs, one which I share wholeheartedly, and it makes me kind of snort, 'cause along comes this otherwise low-carb soup that's like OH BITCH, YOU ARE SOOOOOO GETTING TRICKED INTO EATING CARBS and then BLAM!!! Carbed up.

Granted, I would recommend serving this fresh only (sog-factor). But I *will* say that I ate leftovers the second day, and it was still delish. By the third day though, it was just freaking me out, so I couldn't do it.

Mush creeps me out after a while.

BREAD SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

1 T. olive oil

1/2 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 stalk celery, diced

1 t. dried hot chili flakes

1 t. dried oregano

4 c. vegetable stock

1/2 small loaf of stale bread, cubed

1 small can of diced tomatoes

1 bunch spinach (or I used kale)

2 T. vegan Parmesan cheez

salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Saute the onion, garlic and celery in the oil over medium-high heat. When softened, add in the chili flakes, oregano and some salt and pepper.

Add in vegetable stock and tomatoes and simmer over medium heat for a couple of minutes.

Add in bread and spinach/kale, stir and cover pot.

When bread is soft and spongy and the spinach/kale is wilted, throw in some vegan parm. Taste adding more salt or pepper if necessary.